“I’m not sure if she had one, but I heard stories of women wearing them by choice but also because they could have been forced to. They used woman and children against us, knowing full well that we value their lives.”
My chest constricts but I need to know more. I want him to share this burden with me, knowing how much better I felt when I told Elena about what I had gone through.
“What happened?”
He goes quiet, lost in thought, so I wait patiently for his response. “We were given information that a target was in an area close by. So we traveled there, and the men were going through each home, one by one, searching for him. When they came out of one home and were about to walk into another, the woman had come from the back of the house to the side and was moving toward them. She had a large coat on and...” He shakes his head and swallows. “I couldn’t see a bomb, but I had seconds to react, so I shot her.”
I kneel, wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly, his chest against mine as his arms snake around my back. The tears fall, and my emotions strangle me. I inch back and peer into Reaper’s tortured eyes, and all I want to do is take his pain from him. Leaning forward, I kiss a tear falling down his cheek.
“Did you find out if she had a bomb on her?” I ask in a small voice.
He shakes his head. “We had a mission to complete.”
“You had to make a tough decision, but it doesn’t make you a bad person. Thank you for sharing your story with me.”
I needed it as much as he needed to talk to someone. Seeing his vulnerability and hearing his struggles only makes me love him more.
I focus on his lips, then on his eyes.
I love him.
My body pulses with the need to kiss him. My hands seem to move on their own accord, and I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips to mine. For a second, he pauses as if in shock but then relaxes and kisses me harder.
He coaxes my lips open, allowing his tongue access, then expertly massages it against mine. There’s a hurricane of emotions inside me. He’s the one for me. My arms tighten around his neck, increasing the passion of the kiss, causing my lips to plump under the assault. My body heats, but there’s also an ache between my thighs that no kiss will fix, so I pull away, leaving him open-mouthed.
Lifting one leg over him, I crawl to the edge of the bed and step down. I grasp the edge of my dress and lift it over my head, then drop it on the floor by my feet. As his eyes admire my body, I’ve never felt so sexy, so I unclasp my bra and slide my arms out. A small moan escapes my lips in relief, and my nipples pebble from the cool air.
“I’ve been fantasizing over your body for a long time now, and every inch of you is perfect.”
With the hunger in his eyes and his deep, hungry voice, I believe him. Tension coils from his body, like he wants to get up and touch me but he’s forcing himself to stay seated.
My underwear is next, and I pull them down my ass and thighs, step out of them and to the bed, and crawl toward him.
“You’re in control, baby.”
My pulse thrashes against my skin. “Shirt off!”
He leans forward from the headboard, lifts his shirt over his head, then throws it to the side.
My teeth dig into my lower lip as my greedy eyes gaze at every ridge on his body. When my eyes reach his groin, his cock is straining against his jeans, so I reach for his belt and work on his button, my fingers fumbling, a mix of nerves and desire.
He takes over, pulling his zipper down, then brings his jeans and briefs under his ass and down his legs, kicking them off when they get to his feet.
He’s relinquishing all control, and I’m sure it’s not easy for a man like him. I know I need it, but I will also take full advantage of it.
“No touching me until I say.”
His jaw clenches, and his head falls back onto the headboard with a light thump. I wrap my hand around the base of his cock. His head whips up as he hisses through his teeth, and it makes me feel powerful. I grip him firmly and stroke his thick length again and again.
I shift closer and place my hand on his shoulder for leverage. I tremble as I lift one leg over him to straddle him. He lifts his hands. “No touching,” I say in a seductive voice, and he swears under his breath. My hand reaches between us, grabbing his shaft again, then I shift back so he’s exactly where I want him to be. Inching down, I arch my back so he’s at my opening.
He stretches me as I ever so slowly inch down further, but I hover there and grind on him, working only the tip, letting him feel how wet I am. The groan that comes from deep within his chest does crazy things to my insides, and I grind again, being careful not to go down any farther.
“Fuuuuck, Ava... You’re torturing me! I need to touch you. Please let me touch you.”
Reaper, an alpha male begging to touch me, only makes the ache between my thighs worse. “Okay,” I whisper and welcome his touch. Without missing a beat, one hand tangles in my hair, and he crashes his lips to mine while the other is on my breast, kneading it. I moan when his thumb rubs against my nipple, but it’s swallowed up by the kiss. Tongues collide as my body burns with need.
His lips leave mine and he places open-mouthed kisses on my throat and linger on my pulse point. His hand moves to my other breast, and he bends down, taking it into his mouth, making my head fall back as he swirls his tongue around my nipple.
